The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson [Early Edition] [Fingerprint Mystery]

Twain, Mark (Samuel Langhorne Clemens 1835 - 1910)

Verlag: American Publishing, Hartford Conn, 1897

A SHARP, STRUCTURALLY SUPERIOR EXAMPLE OF TWAIN'S BITING SATIRE ON RACE, IDENTITY, AND THE 'NATURE VS. NURTURE' DEBATE. Set in a pre-Civil War Missouri town, the novel famously utilizes the first fictional application of fingerprinting to resolve a case of infants switched at birth. This 1897 edition retains the iconic marginal illustrations and ornate 'Subscription' binding characteristic of Twain's primary publisher. KEY FEATURES: +++ Visuals: Illustrated throughout with numerous marginal line drawings and a portrait frontispiece of the author. +++ Content: Includes both the 'Tragedy' of Pudd'nhead Wilson and the companion 'Comedy' of Those Extraordinary Twins. +++ Binding: Original brown cloth-covered boards; titles stamped in gilt on spine and front; intricate decorative motifs stamped in black. +++ Imprint: Hartford: American Publishing Company, 1897. +++ Specs: Octavo (9 inches tall) / 432 pages. +++ Edition: Second Edition [first published in 1894]. CONDITION: Very Good. +++ The bindings are tight and square with remarkably bright gilt and crisp black stamping. The text block is clean with light, even age-toning throughout. Minimal shelf handling wear to the extremities. A small bookplate and owner's address label are present on the top of the front pastedown. There are two faint stains from old cello-tape on the front and rear endpages; otherwise, the internal state is fine. SCHOLARLY FEATURES +++ Literary Impact: Pudd'nhead Wilson is regarded as one of Twain's most complex and darker works, using the trope of the 'switched infant' to deconstruct the seething levels of racism and classism in the antebellum South. +++ Scientific Context: The novel is a cornerstone of early detective fiction, popularized just as forensic science began to recognize fingerprinting as a definitive method of identification. +++ Cultural Analysis: By presenting a light-skinned Black mother who switches her child with her white master's to spare him from slavery, Twain forces a confrontation with the arbitrary nature of social caste based on 'one drop' of blood. Iconography Note: This item contains depictions and language typical of the late 19th century which reflect historical attitudes of the period regarding race and slavery. It is offered as a documentary artifact of American literature and is presented for its scholarly and research value. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson remains a primary text for the study of American Realism. Written during a period of personal financial struggle for Twain, the book serves as a vehicle for his growing cynicism regarding human nature and the societal structures of the American South. This 1897 American Publishing Company edition is significant for its preservation of the original aesthetic intended for the American Subscription' market-books sold door-to-door to a rising middle class. The marginal illustrations provide a visual rhythm that underscores Twain's humorous yet cutting prose. SUBJECTS: Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens, Missouri History, Antebellum South, Race Relations, Fingerprinting in Fiction, Satire, 19th Century American Literature, Early Detective Fiction, Social Satire, American Realism, Subscription Publishing. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: BAL 3442 (refers to 1st); McBride p. 164. Second Edition [first published in 1894]. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 21683

Bibliografische Details

Titel: The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson [Early ...
Verlag: American Publishing, Hartford Conn
Erscheinungsdatum: 1897
Zustand: Very Good
Zustand des Schutzumschlags: No Dust Jacket Issued